Centers

The Mercer University School of Medicine boasts a long-standing commitment to serving rural Georgia’s health needs and is home to two centers dedicated to tackling the health challenges in rural Georgia.

The Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities (CRHHD) at Mercer University School of Medicine is dedicated to implementing community-driven solutions to rural areas of Georgia through innovative research, training and community engagement. The CRHHD targets issues like maternal and infant mortality, opioid overdose, and chronic diseases. Key projects include South Georgia Healthy Start, addressing maternal and infant mortality in seven rural counties, and the North Georgia Opioid Prevention and Education Network (OPEN), reducing opioid overdoses in four Appalachian counties. The CRHHD is one of only four NIH-designated Centers of Excellence in the nation focused on rural health issues.

The Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center (GRHIC) at Mercer University School of Medicine is dedicated to confronting the complex health care challenges and health disparities facing rural communities. The Center was established by Mercer University School of Medicine, with state support, in 2018 and serves as a resource to rural communities. The goal is to find sustainable solutions for rural health, provide accurate data, develop reliable research, collaboration, and training opportunities for rural health systems.

The mission of the Innovation Center and the mission of the School of Medicine is the same: to improve access to healthcare in rural Georgia. Working with the School of Medicine and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, programs like Kids Alliance For Better Care (KidsABC) have become a reality. Other initiatives are the LifeCare Specialist Opioid Misuse Prevention Project, the Pediatric Rural Mental Health Initiative, Faith in Rural Health, and the Georgia Agricultural Wellness Alliance. GRHIC has touched all 120 of Georgia’s rural counties.